How To Produce TV For A Major Streaming Platform

In my experience, producing premium documentaries and unscripted TV is an extremely elusive process that I've often had to learn on the job.

Although trial by fire is the quickest way to grow, it can be very challenging for someone who likes straightforward answers and certainty. 

So today, I'm going to share more about the producing roles and purposes I've personally seen on set while creating my unscripted TV show for a major streaming platform.

The list of roles below is a great starting point for you to have a better grasp on how TV shows come together.

Quick note on precedent:

Most producing ranks and roles in the film & TV industry are based on precedent.

Precedent is something built over time and based on your past experience.

Just starting out? Don't expect a high-ranking credit on your first TV show.

I've used my own precedent to help up-and-coming filmmakers gain their first major credit, but everything is circumstantial. 

With less television shows getting the official green light after the 2023 union strikes, production companies, streaming platforms, and studios are not taking big risks and giving high-ranking roles to unknown talent.

With that said, I know you will find value from my personalized list of real-life producing examples below.

6 Examples of Must-Know Producing Roles

1. The Showrunner

The showrunner is the one of the highest ranking creative decision makers of a TV show. 

They execute all episodes of a season.

I've seen showrunners credited as executive producers or co-executive producers, depending on their industry precedent.

Showrunners manage the show and are responsible for hiring decisions including crew and different department heads.

They are also in charge of overseeing production logistics like budget, scheduling, and communication with studios and streaming platforms.

Creatively, they have a heavy influence on story, including casting, episode formats, and season arcs. 

Many emerging creators have dreams of showrunning their first TV shows, and while it's not impossible, it’s very uncommon.  

Most likely, a creator will have to work their way up the producing ranks to become a showrunner.

While I did not showrun my first TV show, I shared a portion the overall creative authority for my TV show.

I got to work extremely closely with the showrunner to ensure casting, creative, and story were aligned with my overall creative vision.

This is something I negotiated into my original contract.

I now have an opportunity to showrun or co-showrun my next TV shows.

2. The Executive Producer

In case you missed it, I wrote an article solely dedicated to the executive producer role:

So What Do Executive Producers *Actually* Do?

But how much an executive producer *actually* remains involved during the production process is completely determined by a case by case basis.

Some executive producers might have zero creative involvement with the TV show, while others maintain a high-level view of the project from start to finish.

There is no requirement for an executive producer to be on set and their contribution level can vary.

For me, as a TV show creator and an executive producer, it was a non-negotiable for me to be heavily involved in the creative and production of my first show.

As I have multiple projects going at once, I strategically select which shows are worth contributing my time vs. earning a passive credit on.

You can't scale without letting go of creative control!

3. The Co-Executive Producer

A co-executive producer supports the executive producers.

In my experience, they will have significant creative and logistical input, but still fall under the executive producer's umbrella.

In my unique personal experience, one of my co-executive producers had much more experience producing film & TV than I did, so I followed her lead.

I received a higher-ranking credit than she did because I created the TV show and held the key to talent access.

But don't let the titles fool you, there are still many political hoops to jump through even if you have the official credit.

Luckily, my most meaningful mentor was a co-executive producer on my TV show.

We collaborated from development and pre-production to production and post production.

She helped me navigate the politics and process, and frankly I don't know what I would have done without her.

4. The Supervising Producer

A supervising producer manages other producers and the field production team.

They will typically oversee the day-to-day operations of the production.

This includes but is not limited to:

• Delegating to and managing the producing team
• Coordinating production and talent schedules
• Ensuring the project stays on track during production days
• Contributing creative and logistical input to the executive producing team
• Creating call sheets and send to production ahead of each shoot day
• Writing field notes

5. The Story & Field Producers

A story producer will conduct research and set up virtual or in-person meetings to get to know the potential cast and their stories.

Because I already had a good grasp of the main cast, their stories, and potential scenes, I shared all of my knowledge and information with the story and field producing team so they could begin implementing a production plan.

A field producer will initiate the planning of logistics based on the story direction.

After deciding what the story is and who’s going to be cast in it, a field producer will work with the location manager to find and clear appropriate locations for filming.

The goal is to make everything as simple as possible for the cast and crew to film the show.

Story and field producers are usually organized and pay attention to detail. 

6. The Line Producer

The line producer is responsible for the daily operations of the show.

The role is primarily numbers related and logistical.

This includes but is not limited to:

• Budget
• Contracts
• Crew management
• Safety
• Wrap paperwork 

Action Steps & Summary

While each producing title comes with typical levels of responsibility and involvement, the day-to-day roles can differ per project. 

Here's the 6 must-know types of producers from unscripted TV shows I've created and executive produced:

1. The Showrunner

2. The Executive Producer

3. The Co-Executive producer

4. The Supervising Producer

5. Story & Field Producers

6. The Line Producer